Written for "When Love was New" Contest. Bella works at an ice cream parlour and lives a life that constantly leaves her in problematic situations. Edward Masen, fireman and regular customer at Bella's work, seems like the perfect candidate to help out. ExB

My palms felt clammy and I could feel a light sheen of sweat had formed on my face. My breathing was unsteady and shallow, no matter how much I tried to control it. My heart pounded so hard against my chest I wondered if it could be heard from across the room.

There he was, just sitting there, eating his ice cream. Such an innocent gesture, yet I was completely mesmerized. Everything about him captured my attention. His piercing green eyes always seemed to dance with emotion, and his bronze hair was begging for hands to run through it. One side of his mouth always seemed slightly higher than the other whenever he smiled, and his pearly, white teeth rivaled those seen in Listerine commercials. His strong, broad shoulders descended into a narrow waist.

Today the group of them came in after a job. You could tell because they all still had their uniforms on, complete with smudges of soot on their faces and necks. Each of them ordered what they usually got. They were all polite and charming, as usual, but I was always eager to hear the velvety sound of his voice.

I admit I shamelessly stared at him, watching as he ate his standard double scoop of butterscotch ice cream in a cup instead of a cone. He had removed his coat, draping it across the back of his chair, leaving him in the standard navy blue t-shirt that easily allowed me to see the muscles of his arms peaking out. He still had his fire engine red suspenders hitched securely on his shoulders and his bright yellow pants on display underneath the table.

I looked away to tend to a customer. The instant my eyes involuntarily darted over to where I knew he was, boring brown met glimmering green. Our eyes had met numerous times before; the result always being him immediately ducking his head. This time was different. This time he held my gaze, smiling around the spoon in his mouth. One of the men in matching uniform that sat next to him gave him a shoulder bump and whispered something in his ear.

Once again, I was forced to tear my gaze away from his, this time to take the order of a family of five. Just as I rang up their orders, the group of heroes entered my field of vision. They made their way out of the ice cream parlor, giving me cheerful smiles and polite nods. Except for one. He stood a few inches taller than the rest and had trademark dimples. Black curls sprung from his head in every direction.

"Bye, Ice Cream Girl," he hollered with a wave.

"Bye, McCarty." I had no idea what his first name was. The only reason why I knew his last name was because of all the times his chief scolded him for flirting with me when he ordered. It was harmless, and I secretly enjoyed the amusement it added to my days.

The bronze haired, butterscotch lover gave him a gentle shove towards the door, turning to look at me one final time. He nodded towards their usual table and gave me a crooked smile.

I grabbed the table cleaner and a rag from under the counter. I made my way over to the previously occupied table where a piece of folded paper caught me eye. I slowly unfolded the paper, my eyes widening as I read what was written. Scribbled in black ink was, "Call me 911."

I bit my lip, trying to hide the smile that quickly formed on my lips. Yes, I realized that this number would do me no good seeing as it was the emergency number but I wasn't that naïve - I was able to read between the lines.

"Swan! You want to get to work anytime soon?" I tore my attention from the paper only to see my boss fuming. James had long blond hair that that was always held back in a ponytail. He was in his mid-forties, and I had yet to see him smile ever since the day he inherited the ice cream parlor from his father.

"Yes, sir," I answered, shoving the paper in my pocket before cleaning the table.

~!~B&B~!~

It was a nice summer day. It wasn't too hot, and there was an occasional cool, refreshing breeze timed perfectly so you didn't smolder from the sun's bright rays. I was currently walking in the park with my dog, Jake. Jake was one hundred percent pure husky with bright, vibrant blue eyes that I admit I was jealous of.

The park was crowded with people taking advantage of the good weather: families having picnics, children playing on the jungle gym and swinging on the swings, elderly couples holding hands as they strolled through the park, people walking their dogs, and a fair amount of people jogging.

A little girl stood at the base of a tree looking up at its branches. The sad look on her face was the only sight that didn't fit in with the smiling faces and laughter throughout the park.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked, crouching down so I was eye level with her while Jake happily ran around her feet.

That's when I noticed the spindle in her tiny hands. I glanced up at the tree. It was fair sized, but not too big to climb. When I glanced back to the little girl, she had one hand tightly grasping the spindle, the other tentatively patting Jake's head.

"Tell you what. I'll go get your kite if you promise to pet and hold onto Jake here."

Her face lit up. Her grin was so wide I was able to count three gaps in her mouth where she had lost her teeth. "Really? Okay! I can do that. Promise," she told me, sitting on the ground beside Jake, increasing the head pats to full body, head to tail strokes.

I passed her the leash and she grasped it tightly. "Jake, sit," I commanded. He obediently listened, sinking down on his haunches. "Stay," I told him as I wrapped my arms around a low handing branch.

I jumped up, wrapping my legs tightly around the branch. I managed to swing myself so I was right side up, carefully making my way to a standing position. I worked my way higher, climbing from one branch to another. When I was a little higher then halfway up the tree, I saw the little girl's colorful kite tangled up. I began untangling it, hoping I didn't rip it or damage it on accident. It took me a few minutes to get the kite free from its confines before I dropped it to the safety of the ground.

The only thing I had to worry about now was getting down safely. I worked on maneuvering myself one branch at a time, watching my footing. I was on the branch closest to the ground when I realized I was on the opposite side of the tree I started on. The branch that was closest to the ground on this side was higher than the one on the other side, making it so I would have to jump down instead of climbing to safety. I contemplated trying to make my way over to the other side of the tree when a deep voice spoke.

"It's not that far of a jump. You'll be fine," an unmistakable voice hollered.

The sheer unexpectedness made me let go of the branch and turn toward the sound of the voice, causing more problems for my lack of balance. I felt my feet slip off the branch and I became airborne, freefalling for a short second. Instead of meeting the hard ground, I met something solid, yet soft and warm.

A deep voice verbalized a low curse as we lost balance and tumbled to the ground. We lay there for a few moments, stunned. My savior was flat on his back, and I had landed on top of him. We were slightly breathless, him more so than I.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," his deep velvety voice replied. "Are you?"

I could only nod as I lifted my head, not able to believe whom I had fallen on. The mess of bronze hair shone in the sunlight, the ends swaying slightly as a gently breeze blew by. His green eyes were filled with worry and concern, not the anger and pain I was expecting.

He got to his feet, scooping me up with him. My arms tightened around his neck, and I felt a rush of warmth from deep inside. He probably didn't notice how intimate his gesture was. He must have carried people like that all the time, but my body wouldn't let me push aside how good it felt.

As soon as he put me back on my feet, my eyes involuntarily did a quick scan of his body. He was wearing a thin, white t-shirt and black athletic shorts. He had headphones in his ears and an iPod armband around his bicep. His hair was matted with sweat and he had beads of sweat rolling down his face.

A tiny giggle reminded me where we were. I dropped his hand, turning to face the owner of the giggle. The little girl stood there with Jake's leash in one hand and her kite in the other. "Thank you very much, ma'am. Here is your doggie." She handed me the leash and promptly walked away.

"Are your days always this adventurous, Ice Cream girl?" he asked, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe his face. I couldn't look away from his toned stomach if I tried. He wiped his hand on the bottom of his shirt before extending it out, resting it in the air between us. "I'm Edward."

I cleared my throat. "It's Bella, actually." I introduced myself, placing my hand in his. We shook hands much longer then we should have, smiling at each other the whole time.

Jake pranced around on the ground, nuzzling my legs. He shifted his attention to Edward, sticking his nose right in his business. Just when I thought my life couldn't get more embarrassing. I knew my face must have been beet red as I apologized profusely. Edward just laughed lightly, telling me it was fine as he began petting Jake, squatting down as he effectively moved his junk out of sniffing range.

"Sorry about falling on you," I apologized again.

Edward stood up, lifting his gaze to mine - his green eyes immediately capturing my attention. "No need to apologize. I was trying to catch you but you came down at an awkward angle and I lost my balance." His gaze shifted to my arm before flickering back to my face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I glanced down at my uncovered arm, finding it littered with small scrapes and cuts. "Oh, um, yeah. These are probably just from the branches."

Jake started straining against his leash; his view trained on a bushy black squirrel. I took this as a hint to start walking again.

"I should probably get going," I told Edward, gesturing towards Jake. "Thank you, again." I gave him a small wave before being yanked a few steps forward by Jake. I had only taken a few steps when he called my name. I pulled on Jake's leash to get him to stop walking and turned to face Edward.

"I'll see you around," he told me with a smile.

I felt my cheeks warm a bit as I gave him a nod. Edward nodded back, pressed a button on his iPod and took off running.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I mumbled to Jake.

~!~B&B~!~

The instant I got home, I called up Alice a.k.a the best friend a girl could ask for. She stood half a foot shorter than me and was all legs. She had short black hair that she could style in every way imaginable, and deserved a talk show with how much I talked to her about my life problems.

"I saw him in the park today," I told Alice when she answered the phone.

"What? Oh! Please, please tell me you're talking about the sexy fireman!" I could hear the desperation in her voice.

"I am." I had to hold the phone away from my ear to prevent the damage that would have occurred due to Alice's loud squeals. "All right, so the sexy fireman's name is Edward, and I sort of fell on him in the park today."

"You fell on him? How the hell did you manage that?"

~!~B&B~!~

It was a few days after the park incident and I was at work. Today was 'Two Dollar Tuesday,' and the two girls I was supposed to be working with decided not to show up. It didn't help that today was one of the hottest days that Seattle had seen all summer.

"Hurry up out there! The line is practically out the door!" James screeched, making no move to help or assist me in any way.

My arm was sore from scooping the ice cream with barely any rest time in between. Strands of my hair constantly fell out of my bun and stuck to my sticky neck. I was thankful most of the people waiting were somewhat patient, giving me sympathetic looks as they realized I was doing my best, but you could never avoid that handful of people who were impatient and constantly shared their thoughts and opinions loud enough for all to hear. Bells chimed, signaling the door opened. I bit back a groan. This was going to be a never-ending shift. I couldn't even bring myself to look at the back of the line and see how many people just came in.

One order and a few snarky comments later, a calming presence seemed to surround me. I glanced up to see Edward making his way towards the counter, earning himself many glares from the people waiting in line. He shot me a smile when he saw me watching him approach. When he reached the counter his eyes locked with mine.

"Need help?"

"Ummm," I stuttered, not expecting his offer.

Edward smirked. "I'll take that as a yes." He easily hopped over the counter and nudged me towards the cash register. "I'll scoop, you ring it up."

That's how we operated as we worked our way through the line. I constantly found myself glancing over at Edward who quietly hummed as he expertly scooped the ice cream. He was dressed casually today, sporting a t-shirt and cargo shorts.

I didn't know how long Edward and I had been working cohesively together when a group of familiar faces reached the front of the line. Edward must have come in with them before coming to assist me. I smiled and greeted the group of firemen who were all in street clothes instead of their uniforms.

I didn't ask for their orders, I simply rattled them off to Edward. "Chocolate in a cone, vanilla in a cone, French vanilla in a cup, cookie dough in a cone, superkid in a cone, and mint chocolate chip in a cup."

I looked over at Edward to see him staring at me. "What?"

"If I was ordering, what would I get?"

"Butterscotch in a cup. Now hush and scoop."

"Yes ma'am," Edward told me with a wink, his eyes shining with some emotion I couldn't place.

An immeasurable amount of time passed - I didn't even have time to look at the clock - before the group of firemen got up from their table. Edward didn't leave with them. I turned to him with a questioning glance. "You don't have to be anywhere?"

Edward shook his head with a smile. "Nope. The group of us were just hanging out and I know they understand."

The grey haired chief made his way to the counter. "Don't forget I need you to come in an hour early tomorrow morning, Masen." He didn't wait for Edward's response before leaving.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Masen."

"Last name," he explained.

Eventually there was no line. Edward and I were leaning against the counter, visibly exhausted. My wrists ached and my back felt stiff. If Edward had any discomfort he hid it well.

"So," Edward began casually. "You have a tattoo."

I felt my face heat up quickly. Not many people knew I had one. It was on my back, between my shoulder blades and thanks to how thin the fabric of my white work shirt was it was easy to see the black ink.

"I was just curious to what exactly it was…" Edward trailed off, casting a look my way.

I cleared my throat. "Um, it's three Chinese symbols that stand for live, laugh, and love."

"That's cool. And are you living up to it?"

I shrugged. "I laugh plenty. I'm alive but I don't think I'm living to my full extent. As for love… well, the love department is lacking," I told him honestly.

Uncharacteristically, I continued. "The closest I've been to love was when I was four or five. I was at a park, playing on the playground when a little boy I had never seen before approached me. He was wearing a Power Rangers hat and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt. He gave me a jar with a butterfly in it and told me if I took it, it would be a symbol of our love. So, I accepted the jar without hesitation. In my mind, I was planning our wedding. All I had to do was wait until he proposed. Just as I was picturing was my dress would look like, my mom told me it was time to go. I threw a temper tantrum in the sand box that to this day my mom never let me forget. I cried the entire way home, clutching the jar tightly in my hands."

I glanced over at Edward who was looking at me with a strange look on his face. "What?"

Edward shook his head slightly. "Nothing, I'm just intrigued."

"Swan!" James hollered, making everyone in the parlor turn their attention to him. "I don't pay you to talk."

It was Edward's turn to raise his eyebrows.

"Last name."

James' face reappeared. "Is he behind the counter?"

My eyes went wide and I could see Edward biting back a smile. "I guess that's my cue." Edward hopped over the counter. "See you later, Bella." I was graced with one final grin before Edward walked to the door, casting one last look over his shoulder before he opened the door.

~!~B&B~!~

I found myself thinking of Edward over the next few days. A lot. I started to think I might have been developing an unhealthy obsession with him, yet I couldn't find it in myself to care. I was spending my only morning off that week at the park with Jake since Alice was in still in New York for work. As we walked, I noticed there was a little boy crying by the same tree the little girl had gotten her kite stuck in. I felt massive déjà vu as I made my way over to the child and asked him what was wrong.

"I wanted to take my kitty for a walk 'cause I always see people walking their dogs. We don't have a leash at home, but Snowball is usually so good that I thought I wouldn't need one anyways. When we got to the park, a big, no, a huge dog chased Snowball up this tree and he hasn't come down yet."

Oh boy.

I handed the little boy Jake's leash and began my climb; keeping my eyes open. Instead of finding a small white kitty – like I expected - I found a plump white and orange cat.

"Is Snowball all white?" I yelled down, not wanting to grab the wrong cat.

"No. He's white and orange, but I like to call him white and yellow because then the orange spots could be like yellow snow."

I grinned. Kids and their creative minds…

I reached my hand towards the cat, letting it sniff my hand before I even attempted to grab it. When it allowed me to pet it, I picked it up, huffing from the weight of it. I was now in a conundrum. I needed two hands to hold the cat comfortably, but I needed at least one to help me climb down.

I tucked the cat under my left arm and held onto it tightly, using my right arm to help me climb down. I was a few branches from the bottom when Jake began to bark loudly. Snowball freaked and struggled in my arms, clawing and biting. I instinctively let my right hand release the branch so I could hold the cat more securely. It struggled more and I felt myself falling. I desperately reached towards a branch, but couldn't get a hold of it as I fell further backward. I shut my eyes and tensed my body, ready for the impact. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, bringing close to a warm chest before dragging us to the ground.

"I'm starting to see a pattern here," a smooth voice whispered in my ear. "Besides, I thought I was the one who was supposed to do rescue missions."

"I'm just picking up the slack," I managed to tease between pants.

I heard Edward suck in a breath. "Ouch, Bella. Way to wound the heart," he joked.

We bantered back and forth a few more times before Snowball reminded me I had him in a death grip by biting my hand. Hard.

I yelped and released the cat, watching it scamper away and the little boy chase after it. I looked down, wincing as I saw two small beads of blood and numerous scratches littering my arm. I looked up to see Jake sprinting away, chasing after the cat before his attention shifted to a bushy squirrel running in the opposite direction.

"Jake!" I called. He didn't even turn his head in my direction.

"Today is definitely not my day," I groaned as I pushed myself up from the ground, holding out my hand to help Edward.

"We'll get him," Edward assured me as he began walking in the direction Jake took off.

I quickened my stride to catch up with him. I glanced over at Edward, taking in his appearance. He was dressed in shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops - he hadn't been running today.

"So, what brings you to the park?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"I was actually looking for you." Edward peeked over at me from the corner of his eye. "I wanted to ask you something."

It was quiet between us for a few long beats.

"Okay," I prompted.

Edward ran his hand through his hair a few times before looking at me directly in the eye. "I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me."

A date? With Edward?

"If I said yes, what would said date include?" I asked with a grin.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I was thinking something cliché like dinner and a movie."

I let out a small laugh. "I think I could do that."

By the time we reached Jake, who was barking up a tree, we had all the details set.

"Are you planning on staying at the park for a little bit?" Edward asked after we had successfully got Jake away from the tree.

"I planned on playing fetch with him for a little while. Why do you ask?"

"I have work in a bit, but I was hoping I could sneak in a bit of extra time with you. If that's okay, of course." I had to admit Edward was completely adorable as well as handsome.

I gave him a reassuring smile. "Perfectly fine."

We walked a bit further before stopping in a large patch of grass that wasn't by playgrounds or flowers. I pulled a tattered tennis ball from my pocket and threw it as far as I could. Jake was a blur as he charged after it. Edward and I alternated throwing the ball as well as asking questions about each other.

Far sooner then I would have liked, Edward looked at the time on his phone and informed me he had to go.

"I'll see you on Thursday at 5:00," he promised.

I couldn't wait.

The next few days seemed to drag on and on as I eagerly awaited my date with Edward. By the time Thursday came along, I was nearly bouncing with excitement.

Edward was perfectly on time when he pulled in my driveway and he even opened the car door for me. The drive to the restaurant was short and filled with conversation. We hadn't made reservations but that didn't seem to be a problem as we came in before the dinner rush. The hostess led up to a booth where Edward and I sat across from each other. Our waiter, Seth, appeared shortly after and took our drink orders.

Once he was out of sight, I looked over at Edward with a mischievous grin. "What are your thoughts about saying it's your birthday so we can get a free dessert?"

He blinked a few times before letting out a hearty laugh. "Oh, I'm so in."

By the end of dinner, we had a dessert plate between us, complete with a sparkler.

Edward let out a content sigh. "You are a genius," he praised.

"I have my moments," I admitted with a wave of my fork.

We destroyed the dessert and Edward paid the check. We walked out to the parking lot with only a few inches of space between us. I felt the instinct to move closer but did my best to hold my composure, focusing my sights on Edward's silver Volvo. The drive was quick seeing as there were only a few streets separating the restaurant from the theater. To my objections, Edward paid for the tickets, and he lead me to the line at the concession stand.

"What do you want?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

Edward's eyes went wide, and he cocked his head to the side. "How can you go to a movie theatre and not get anything?"

"Easy. I have a theory. It's a huge money scam. Most people buy popcorn, and then they get thirsty so they get a pop. Then, they drink so much pop they have to go to the bathroom, making them miss part of the movie. Finally, people will want to see what they missed so they'll pay to see the same movie again."

"I think that's untrue," Edward teased as he got a large pop and bag of popcorn. "However, if you ever get hungry or thirsty, I'll be happy to share."

Halfway through the movie, Edward caught my attention by constantly shifting around in his seat.

I tried to hide my smirk as I leaned towards him. "Doing okay?"

He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Yep."

"Okay." I couldn't help picking up his almost empty pop cup and swishing it around a bit. I turned to look at him, seeing him wince and shift. I took an exaggerated sip, never breaking eye contact with him.

He made in another fifteen minutes before mouthing to me a simple "you win" as he made his way down the dimly lit aisle. When he got back, I couldn't help but realize he didn't touch his pop for the remainder of the movie.

As we left the theatre, a wave of cool air hit me and I automatically shivered. I felt something warm drape over me. It took me a moment to realize Edward wrapped his arm around me, his other holding his leftover popcorn. I bit back a smile and curled further into him. We reached the car and just like before, he opened the door for me. The car ride back to my house was filled with me gushing my love for the movie and his incredulity in my movie choice.

As he stopped the car in my driveway, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when I realized that this date was over. He got out first, rushing around to my side to open the door yet again. I exited the car and Edward walked me to my door.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," I told him with a small smile, secretly hoping he felt the same.

Edward smiled back. "I did too."

"So, another date then?" I half asked, half told him.

His already irresistible smile got even more compelling. "I'd like that."

He waited until I got in the house before leaving the doorstep. As soon as I shut the door, I instinctively sprinted up the stairs to my room with the biggest smile on my face. I grabbed my phone and dialed Alice as fast as I could.

"I just got home from our date!"

"Spill!"

~!~B&B~!~

I was in the kitchen preparing for date number three. We were having dinner at my house.

Date number two had been an afternoon at the zoo. When we were in front of the lion exhibit, I surprisingly became bold as I grabbed Edward's hand in mine. Edward didn't seem to object as he threaded his fingers with mine, not releasing my hand for the rest of the day. The date had ended with me kissing Edward's cheek then panicking and rushing to my house, calling goodbye over my shoulder. He at least looked amused through the windshield.

A loud knock brought me out of my memory. I quickly made my way to the door, grinning as I opened it for Edward. He looked dashing in his dark wash jeans and black button up shirt that he'd left untucked. I stepped aside so he could enter, not wanting him to have to stand in the unusually chilly summer night any longer than he had to.

"It smells great," he commented, bending down to place a lingering kiss on my cheek.

I couldn't help but blush a bit. I really hoped the night went well.

"Thanks."

I led him to the seldom-used dining room. I told him to take a seat as I grabbed the last two bowls of food from the kitchen. Dinner went smoothly, filled with comfortable silences and sly looks at each other.

We were sharing the couch in my living room, my feet resting casually in his lap. We were just having a casual conversation, when his hands moved dangerously close to my feet.

"So, are you ticklish at all?" Edward asked.

I instinctively pulled my feet from his lap. "Uh, no."

Edward gave me a crooked grin. "You are such a terrible liar. It's adorable."

Before I knew it, I was off the couch and on the floor, laughing hysterically as Edward assaulted my feet.

Edward stopped his terrorizing, and I took deep breaths to try to calm myself.

I turned to glare at him. "You're mean."

Edward smirked and leaned down so he was hovering over me, bring our faces dangerously close. "My sincerest apologies, Bella," he whispered, his eyes on my lips.

I reached my hand to Edward's neck, pulling his head down. Our lips touched with the softest of brushes. Edward pulled away slightly before placing his lips back on mine, this time with more delicious pressure.

I truly didn't know how long we had spent kissing on the living room floor when something furry brushed against the side of my face. Edward pulled away quickly and both of our attention was now on Jake who had his head between ours.

I looked over Jake's head to see Edward already looking at me - his eyes shining yet smoldering at the same time.

I thought that maybe, just maybe, the love part of my life was blossoming.

~!~B&B~!~

Things between Edward and I had been going smoothly. It was a few weeks into my senior year of college, and we were at Edward's house, watching television in his living room. He was sitting in the corner of the couch and I sat between his legs, my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. His one hand drew lazy circles on my stomach as his other was propped behind his head. I convinced Edward to let me watch one of my trashy reality shows. It had just started when Mother Nature decided she wanted something else to start too. A low curse slipped past my lips and I shifted uncomfortably.

Edward tilted my head towards his. "What?"

I shook my head and felt my cheeks heat up. "Nothing. Err…I'm just going to go."

I made a move to get up but Edward wrapped his arms around my waist. "Whoa. Talk to me. What's going on?"

I covered my face with my hands, resisting the urge to scream. This could not get any more embarrassing. Edward was an only child, and we had never touched on the topic of how comfortable he was with good ol' mensies.

"I just started," I muttered through my hands.

I peeked through my fingers only to see a confused looking Edward. Why Mother Nature? Why decide to come a few days early?

I shook my head and Edward ran his hand through his hair. After a few moments, he shifted me so he could stand up.

"What kind do you use?"

I felt my eyes pop out of my head. "What?"

Edward grabbed his keys and put on some shoes. He looked up and smiled as he tied his shoes. "I'll go get you something."

"I'll at least come with you." I made a move to stand but Edward guided me back onto the couch.

"Stay and watch you show. I'll be back shortly," he promised. "Now what brand do you use?"

I told him the brand along with a brief description to help him out. He placed a sweet lingering kiss on my forehead before walking out the front door.

I whipped out my phone and sent a text to Alice. The text was three simple words: Shoot me now. Less than a minute later, my phone rang. The voice of my best friend greeted me the instant I answered the phone.

"So why am I shooting you?"

"I started and I was supposed to have a few more days so I don't have anything in my purse. Edward is out buying me tampons as we speak."

All I could hear was hysterical laughter coming from the other end.

"Okay, that man loves you. It took Jasper a year of dating before he could even say the word tampon without shuddering."

~!~B&B~!~

A blanket of snow had been covering the ground for two weeks. It was early in the morning and I was sitting at the kitchen table stressing out about an essay I had to write for school. Edward had popped by about ten minutes ago to take Jake out for a walk.

I groaned in frustration and dropped my head in my hands. The essay was a lost cause, and I could feel myself starting to break down. My mind drifted, trying to grasp onto any happy thoughts. Memories and thoughts of Edward filled my mind. He was such a brave, courageous and amazing human being. He was the only one who could make me smile if I was having a crappy day, and he could make anything fun and enjoyable. He was always there for me, and hell, he even bought me tampons. Every time I saw him, he took my breath away. Every time I heard his voice, my knees still got shaky. I think he even knew how a single look could make my heart beat so fast it could give a hummingbird a run for its money. Between our smiles and laughter, and our hugs and kisses, I had fallen in love.

Just as my realization hit me, the front door opened. Jake sprinted around the house and Edward made his way over to me.

"How's it going?" he asked sweetly, placing a kiss on the crown of my head and bringing his hand up to massage my neck.

I just shook my head and bit my lip.

"Okay. Let's take a break. Get some warm clothes on, we're building a snowman."

I groaned. "I've barely even started."

"Think of it as motivation then." He pried me off my chair, leading me towards the stairs.

I was in a t-shirt and a pair of Edward's boxers. "This whole plan involves changing and energy. Plus it looks cold out."

Edward stopped walking and pulled me close, his voice low and rough. "Well, we can always do something that involves keeping each other warm under the covers and the removal of clothing."

A shudder rippled through me. "Tempting," I admitted. "However, my essay won't even be touched if that happens."

"Is that so?" He asked, his hands skimming my back.

"You have a certain charm that makes a girl want to stay in bed all day."

He couldn't hide his grin if he tried. "Good to know." He gave me a long kiss before leading me to the stairs once again. "I'll meet you outside."

I traded my current attire for a sweater and jeans, tossing my coat on before I joined Edward and Jake outside. Jake pranced in the snow, fascinated by how his paws sunk into the white powder every step.

I had just placed the torso of the snowman atop the bottom base when something cold and wet hit my back. I turned to see Edward looking down the street, pretending he was fascinated by the old man shoveling snow in his underwear; humming quietly and trying his best to fight a smirk. I knew he was up to no good. We had talked about the old man last week, agreeing it was intriguing at first but was now simply cringe-worthy.

"Do you really want to start this?" I asked, bending down to pick up some snow with my bare hands. Cold bit at my fingers, but I could do nothing about it seeing as Jake used my gloves as chew toys that morning, leaving them in pieces.

He didn't answer.

I packed the snow in a tight ball and drew my arm back. He turned around just in time for the snowball to hit him square in the face. He shook his head, effectively getting off the snow that had stuck to his face. He slowly stalked towards me and from the look on his face I knew I was in big trouble. I panicked, shuffling backwards.

Unfortunately Jake was right behind me and I ended up stumbling over him. I managed to catch myself from falling flat on my face but that had given Edward all the time he needed. He picked up a handful of snow and proceeded to shove it down the back of my sweater. I shrieked from the coldness that caressed my skin before grabbing some snow and chasing Edward around the front yard. I knew he wasn't trying that hard to run away, and I was thankful for that. I managed to catch him and rubbed the snow on the back of his head and neck, enjoying his involuntary shiver. He wrapped his arms around my waist and dragged us to the ground. We fought and wrestled on the ground for a bit, but Edward soon had me pinned beneath him.

"Hmm, what to do now," he pondered aloud.

"Make snow angels," I offered sweetly, not wanting Edward to come up with something wicked.

"No. I think now would be the perfect time to tell my girlfriend how incredibly amazing she is." His eyes locked with mine, all seriousness in his voice as he let go of my hands pinned above me.

I lifted a hand to his face, stroking the day worth of stubble covering his cheek. He grabbed my hand in his, moving it to his lips. He placed gentle kisses on each of my knuckles, twining his hand with mine before placing our hands over his racing heart.

"Every time I see you, you bring a smile to my face and brighten my day. You know all my flaws but you still accept me. You make me strive to become a better person, Bella," he whispered, dropping a kiss to my lips.

"Whenever I hold you in my arms, I never want to let go. You are a kind, witty, sweet, loving, caring, loyal, and honest person who is exceedingly beautiful and perfect in my eyes."

A few tears escaped my eyes, and Edward gently kissed them away.

"I'm always so thankful and proud that I am the only one who gets to call you my girl." Edward cleared his throat. "What all of this adds up to… is that… I'm in love with you."

His gaze locked with mine, his eyes revealing how unguarded and vulnerable he was at that moment.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered.

I let out a choked sob as a wide grin spread across my face. My mouth opened and closed a few times before I was able to get out the words. "I love you too. So, so much."

Edward let out a gust of air and dropped his forehead to rest against mine. I tilted my face up and Edward took the hint. My eyes fluttered shut as his lips caressed mine softly.

I couldn't help but grin as I realized I finally felt I was living up to my tattoo… all thanks to Edward.

~!~B&B~!~

"Where are you taking me?" I questioned for the third time since Edward picked me up from my house.

It was April and the saying, 'April showers bring May flowers' was in full effect. I watched the windshield wipers work hard to remove the rain that poured from the sky.

"Patience, my love. Patience." Edward reached over and grabbed my hand, holding it tightly in his over the center console.

We had been together for a little over a year and a half. I had finished my undergraduate degree and since I had no idea what to do with my life, Edward encouraged me to apply for a master's program in my field.

The pouring rain had turned into a light drizzle by the time Edward stopped the car thirty minutes later. I glanced out the window and turned to give Edward a puzzled look. "We drove this far to come to a park?"

"Yes, we did. Stay in the car," Edward told me as he popped the trunk and swung himself out the driver's side door. I couldn't see what he was doing but when he closed the trunk and walked over to my door, I noticed the lump in his coat pocket. Edward opened my door and offered me his hand. I didn't hesitate as I grabbed it and climbed out of the car.

I let Edward lead as we strolled through the park. He abruptly stopped when we reached the playground, turning so we were facing one another. He reached his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small jar. I gasped as I saw the jar contained a monarch butterfly.

"I proclaimed my love for the first time to a little girl in a pink and yellow plaid dress with pigtails in this spot about seventeen years ago. I gave her a jar with a butterfly in it and told her if she accepted it, it would forever be a symbol of our love. We didn't even know each other's names, but she accepted the jar and, in turn, my love. I guess that's all just part of young love… having the ability to be excited by the unknown instead of fearing it."

My eyes had been widening as I listened to every word Edward said. "It was you," I gasped. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

He shrugged. "I just had a feeling that it was never the right time to tell you," Edward informed me with a grin. "But since I've already expressed my love to you this way, I hoped this could be another milestone for us."

Edward placed the jar in my hands, and I noticed a glint of silver under the butterfly. It was a key.

He tilted my face towards his. "Will you move in with me?"

I could only nod and smile. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. He responded by repeatedly pressing kisses to the side of my head.

A little while later, we agreed to set the butterfly free. We watched it fly away and I realized that you couldn't suffocate love and keep it cooped up in a jar. You had to let it free and give it plenty of room to spread its wings. A butterfly was a perfect metaphor for love. It starts off weak and useless in some people's eyes, but over time, it grows into something beautiful and majestic.